The Surprising Other Psychological Associations for Popular Paint Colors

There’s a big list of reasons why a particular paint color won’t work out when you bring it home and get in on the wall. And somewhere below “it looked different on the paint chip” and above “it makes the carpet look like barf” is this curious problem: It doesn’t vibe with my brain.

We know colors have natural psychological associations, but the list for each hue is long and complicated. While most people find a green room restful, another might find it makes them physically sick. Really. Here is a quick list of the typical and not so typical mental connections for every paint color:

Black

What you expect: Darkness, Sophistication, MourningWhat else it can inspire: Value. Black communicates elegance and prestige, and that can have the effect of making a thing look more expensive.